Recipes of the Pugs

We have had many e-mails lately asking for our current pug feeding schedule & meal plan. Since it has changed a bit in the last few months, we felt it would be a good idea to post a blog about it, rather than just responding to the people that have asked. (Having been a teacher before, it is our school of thought that for each person that asked there are a few more that wanted the same answer, but never asked the question…)

This meal is given 3 times a day. They eat breakfast around 6 AM, lunch around 3:30 PM and dinner around 8:30 PM. Additionally, they get a snack of a teaspoon of yogurt or applesauce and a few cheerios around noontime. So, they eat 4 times a day. They are obviously very well fed pugs. Henry is the heaviest, weighing in at a hefty 27 pounds (and he could afford to drop a pound or 2.) Benjamin is in good shape at his 22 pounds and “little” Luna is a curvy 13 pounds. Luna doesn’t get quite as much, though. Where the boys would get the full 1/3 scoop of turkey, her measuring cup wouldn’t be all the way full and she would get just a little less pumpkin and a couple less green beans but for the most part, it is pretty darn close to what the boys eat.

Also, since Henry has a pretty serious acid reflux problem, he gets 1/8 of a teaspoon of Baby Acidopholus in powder form added to his meals. When his reflux gets too bad, he may need to have a Pepcid A/C added to his food bowl, too. Benjamin also used to have the acid trouble, too but as he is getting older, it seems to be improving dramatically. Actually, Henry’s has improved tremendously, as well but his does act up from time to time.

Of course, with anything else that you feed or medicate your own dog with, we strongly advise you to consult your veterinarian first. The diet that the pugs are on was recommended to us years ago by our holistic veterinarian. We have made some modifications through the years after consulting with her along the way. And please, be fully aware of the time and the cost of a special diet like this if you are considering offering your dog something similar. It really can be a real pain in the neck to get it all put together. Even though we have it down to a science, it is still time consuming. On Sundays, we cook about 11 pounds of ground turkey and then scoop 21 bowls of food per dog (so a total of 63 food bowls), cover them with plastic elastic lids and stack them in the fridge for easy feeding throughout the week. The whole process takes a good 3-4 hours. And at $3 for 1.25lbs of turkey, well, you can do the math. Needless to say, the dogs literally eat better than we do.

We really appreciate everyone’s feedback, commentary & e-mails on the subject. We hope it gives some insight to what it’s like to offer a home cooked diet for your dogs. We will say this, though, no matter what the cost in time and effort, there was no exchange for the level of comfort we felt when the word about the tainted pet foods came out in the news. We felt a huge sigh of relief that our precious pups were protected.

Our girls get cooked food as well - and I was relieved at that fact when all the stories about the tainted food started. Our girls get Turkey, Duck, Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Celery, Broccoli, Cabbage, Apples, Flax Oil. It’s all chopped up in the food processor and frozen until needed. We get it from a company in our City and they even deliver it! They are our favorite people!

We know that the food is all organic, taken from farms around the city and one of the people always taste- tests each batch. If I had to cook my own food for them, I would - it’s totally worth it.

I tried going the raw food diet route last year with my Pug and two cats. The cats wouldn’t eat and it upset my poor Pug’s tummy. Right now we’re doing organic kibbles made without any meat by-products or glutens. I’d much rather feed them homemade foods. I might try the above recipe for my Pug and see how he likes it; one of my problems is that I’m away from home from 8am until around 6pm 5 days a week and two of those he’s at daycare. I can’t see him being on a 3-4 meal a day schedule, though I think he’d LOVE that.

Unfortunately the vet wants him to lose 4lbs and while I’ve lost 10lbs in our new walking exercise program, he still hasn’t lost any.

Corrine - OBP

04/26/2007

Hi Priscilla,

I know, isn’t it kinda odd how we know Henry has acid reflux. When he was about a year old, all he would do would sit and lick the air. He kept out it for quite some time and so we talked to the vet about it and from that they determined that he had acid reflux.

Corrine - OBP

04/26/2007

Hi Carole,

To tell you the truth we haven’t really been on a vacation since we got Benjamin & Henry! That was 5 years ago!

We have taken a few weekend trips with the pugs and it is difficult because we always have to bring an extra cooler to keep their food cold and we always have to stay in hotel rooms that have refrigerators that are large enough to store their food.

So traveling is definitely not easy. During hurricane season in FL, we also keep some dry food on hand in case we lose electricity for any extended amount of time.

It’s doable, but it definitely takes a lot of planning.

Corrine - OBP

04/26/2007

N. Mallory - Congrats on the 10lb weight loss! That is fantastic! The 3-4 times a day schedule is tough, and works for my gang, but I don’t think it is necessary. Let me know if you try the recipe.

Corrine - OBP

04/26/2007

Amanda,

That is the way to go! I wish I could have such good quality food delivered. That would rock!

Wow, I’m thinking maybe Marty has acid reflux! I am seriously thinking of trying your recipe. With 4 I may actually cut it in half and mix with a good kibble…maybe cut out the oatmeal. Did you see Oprah yesterday? All about dogs!

HC

04/26/2007

Hi, do you know if any of your pugs have food allergies? I currently cook for one of mine. I’m finding that he’s really sensitive to rice and corn. (Scratches all day long.) I’m thinking it’s anything that has wheat or gluten, but not 100% sure. My recipe has been equal weighed parts protien (chicken), veggie (carrots) and carb (tried brown rice and potato).Potato has been much better than rice.

Any ideas what to use if I want to omit the oatmeal? Thanks!! p.s. LOVE the blog!

do you give any type of general vitamin supplement ? or calcium ? I love checking in to see how your 3 Little Pugs are doing

Corrine - OBP

04/26/2007

Punchbugpug - I missed Oprah yesterday! I may try to see if I can catch it on the Oxygen channel tonight.

HC - No, none of my pugs have allergies. Hmm..not really sure off the top of my head what would be the best substitute for the oatmeal. Let me ask around and I will get back to you.

Leight - Right now, none of the pugs take any vitamins or supplements. I have been thinking about this though and I think the next time we go into the vet I will ask them about it and see if they think they need anything.

HC- I just got back from the vet with my two pugs after trying to come up with a meal plan that can be cooked at home. I have an excerpt from a textbook that says that potato, pasta, and various infant cereals are good substitutes for carbs. if you need a substitute for oatmeal.

HC I used to use barley, it’s easy to get in the grocery store. It cooks up quick. Couscous, quinuoa split pea, lentils are good. You can also find bulk grains at your natural health food store like whole wheat, rye etc. You could grind them up or cook whole.